Anker Initiates Law to Require Warnings on Liquid Nicotine Labels

Mount Sinai, NY - April 2014 - Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker today submitted legislation that will require all nicotine retailers to provide product information and warnings on the dangers of liquid nicotine (also known as e-liquid) on all liquid nicotine products. Used in smokeless cigarette devices, the liquid is available in many flavors and is typically smoked with a special electronic cigarette that burns the nicotine into a smokeless chemical.

In large doses, liquid nicotine is toxic, can cause nicotine poisoning, addiction, and in some cases, may be lethal. The use of liquid nicotine, which is also comprised of propylene glycol, flavoring and other chemicals, continues to increase in Suffolk County.

“Liquid nicotine is especially dangerous, as nicotine is easily absorbed through the skin and some flavors may be enticing to small children,” said Legislator Anker. “Even a small spill of liquid nicotine onto the hands or other body part of an adult, child or household pet can cause nicotine poisoning. According to the federal Center for Disease Control, calls to poison control centers involving liquid nicotine products have increased sharply, with more than 50% of those calls involving children under the age of 5.”

The legislation requires retailers to provide consumers with warnings about the dangers associated with liquid nicotine, and information about the level of nicotine contained in the product and the exact chemical composition. Violation of this law shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to $250 for an initial violation, with a penalty of up to $500 for a second violation and a penalty of up to $1,000 for any subsequent violation.

Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced they are taking steps to regulate all electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products.

“I have been working on this legislation for several months, and while the FDA has just begun looking at regulating the liquids, I believe it is vital to take aggressive steps now,” said Anker. “Requiring the packaging to clearly label the dangers is simply the first step in a larger campaign to educate the public about the dangers of e-liquids. I will be calling on our state representatives to ban all flavored liquid nicotine. Bubblegum flavored nicotine and other similar flavors clearly target our children not adults and should be banned outright.”